Bentley & Bear Holistic Dog and Cat Grooming

20/09/2026

A petition that began with grief, frustration, and a simple question about fairness has now reached Parliament. After months of campaigning, thousands of conversations, and an overwhelming wave of public support, the campaign to require drivers to report collisions with cats has secured its parliamentary debate date.

Our petition, Legislate to require drivers to report collisions with cats, gathered 189,192 signatures — the largest cat‑related petition ever submitted to Parliament. Every one of those signatures represents a family left without answers, rescuers who have faced heartbreaking roadside scenes, and people across the UK who believe cats deserve the same care, dignity, and recognition as other companion animals.

Now, with the debate set for Monday 26th October, we need one final push.

The most powerful thing you can do is invite your MP to attend the debate and speak up for change. We’ve created a simple template you can use — just personalise it and send it.

👉 Download the MP invitation template here:
www.catsmatter.org/downloads

Your voice helped bring this issue to Parliament.
Your message to your MP can help change the law.

16/09/2026

Pip and Squeak in for a much needed groom. 🐹

10/09/2026

Meeting some Spanish Champion Standard Poodles 🐩 in Javea, Spain.

08/09/2026

Just a little note to say I am closed until Monday 14th September.

I will be closing again from 19th til’ 26th September.

Enquiries will be responded to when I reopen next week.

Thanks

Caroline

Pic of a couple of little lions for tax 🤪

03/09/2026

A little something for the humans for a change… 🩷

I spend most of my days talking about the comfort, wellbeing and bodies of your dogs and cats — but today, something for the people attached to them!

I wanted to give a little shout-out to a local business run by a friend of mine, specialising in pelvic floor health.

And before half of you scroll past thinking “that’s a women’s thing” — it isn’t! Pelvic floor problems can affect women and men, and they’re far more common than we tend to talk about.

It’s one of those areas of health that can feel a bit embarrassing or awkward to bring up, so people often just put up with things they really don’t need to.

I suspect this could be useful to quite a few people in my Bentley & Bear community — whether for themselves, a partner, friend or family member — and because the help is right here locally, I thought it was absolutely worth sharing.

Sometimes looking after ourselves needs to go on the list alongside looking after everybody else. 🩷

Give her business a follow please - it may not be relevant today but could be tomorrow. Feel free to share with someone it may help.

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

🪷 The first cat groom is about more than fur

When I meet your cat for the first time, I’m not just looking at their coat.

I’m learning about them.

How do they feel about being touched? Which areas are comfortable — and which earn me the look? 😹 Do they prefer standing, sitting or curling themselves into a small furry loaf?

I’ll work gently and adapt the groom as I learn what helps your cat feel safest.

That can mean we achieve a little less on a first visit than we might in future — and that’s absolutely fine. I also don’t recommend bathing at a first appointment.

A positive first experience gives us something much more valuable to build upon: trust.

༄ No rushing
༄ No forcing a cat through “just one more bit”
༄ No expectation that every cat should tolerate grooming in the same way

I’m not simply grooming a coat. I’m hoping to start building a relationship with the cat wearing it. ♡

28/08/2026

A little moment of pride today… 💗

My official SME News winner profile is now live. 🏆

I’ve already shared how delighted I am to have Bentley & Bear recognised as Best Fear-Free Dog & Cat Groomer 2026, so I won’t repeat all of that again!

But there is something rather special about seeing Bentley & Bear there in black and white, with a little piece about the way I work and the values behind my grooming.

What started as a small grooming business has gradually become something very me — thoughtful, individual, behaviour-informed care, with the animal in front of me always setting the pace.

It’s lovely to see that approach recognised beyond the walls of my little pink grooming room. 🩷🐾

If you fancy a read, my official SME News winner profile is now live:

https://smenews.digital/winners/bentley-bear-holistic-dog-and-cat-grooming/

Caroline x

Bentley & Bear Holistic Dog and Cat Grooming is one of the 2026 winners of Business Elite Awards.

28/08/2026

🐾 Grooming Foundations for Puppies and Anxious Dogs 🐾

Little Cheddar has now completed four foundation sessions with me. 💗

During that time, she’s been gently introduced to the grooming environment, equipment, handling and all the strange sights, sounds and sensations that come with being groomed.

She’s been confident enough to have experienced two baths and drys along the way! 🛁🐶

Rather than expecting a puppy to cope with everything involved in a full groom on their first visit, these sessions allow us to build familiarity, confidence and trust gradually, at a pace they can manage.

And Cheddar is now ready for her next milestone…

✂️ Next time I see her, it’ll be time for her very first full groom!

All that preparation should make the experience feel much more familiar — because good grooming habits start long before that first haircut. 🐾💗

20/08/2026

British Shorthair owners… that soft plush coat needs more attention than you might think 🐾

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve heard ‘if I’d have known how much hair they’d shed beforehand…!’

The British Shorthair may have a short coat, but it’s an incredibly dense, plush double coat — one of the things that gives the breed that gorgeous velvety appearance.

And underneath all that plushness? A surprising amount of loose coat can build up! 🙀

Regular professional grooming can help to:

✨ Remove loose and any compacted undercoat
✨ Reduce shedding (and the amount of cat decorating your sofa!)
✨ Keeps the body and coat aerated, comfortable and in good condition
✨ Pick up early changes in the skin or coat
✨ Reduce the amount of loose fur swallowed during self-grooming - nobody likes a hairball 🤮
✨ Keep claws comfortably maintained

Some British Shorthairs also really benefit from a bath and thorough dry, particularly during heavier shedding periods or if they’re particularly greasy — you would be amazed at how much coat can come out of a seemingly perfectly tidy cat!

Beautiful Murray here is a perfect example of that fabulous BSH coat — and just look at his colouring. 🤎

Short-haired definitely doesn’t mean no grooming required.

WhatsApp me to book 07980676897 📲